Vapor-lamp.



C. NELSON.

VAPOR LAMP.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17, 1913.

1 099 192 iatented June 9,1914.

ki k f (6 m' uq i ;6; $4 $1 26 i NW H1 it P l I 3 a3 Witnesses Inventor2% M AM COLUMBIA PLANOORAPM COHWMHINGTON, IJv C than STAES IAE FFICE.

CHARLES NELSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO S. STERNAU & COMPANY,A COPARTNERSHIP COMPOSEI) OF SIGMUND STERNAU AND LIONEL STRASSIBURGER,

OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

VAPOR-LAMP.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Crmnnns NnLsoN, a citizenof the United States, residing in the borough of Brooklyn, county ofKings, city and State of New York, have invented a certain new anduseful Vapor- Lamp, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to lamps, for heating and other purposes, burningliquid fluid,

such as alcohol. The lamp is of the type in which the fluid is subjectedto heat within a wick tube, to produce vapor, which is ignited in aburner.

The objects that I have in View are First: to ease the pressure withinthe fluld font, caused by the generation of vapor. Second: to preventinjurious leakage of fluid through the vapor passage. Third: to simplifythe burner and render it more eflicient. Fourth: to improve the meansfor supplyinga primary charge of fluid to the wick tube. These andfurther objects will more fully appear from the following specificationand accompanying drawings, considered together or separately.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a lamp embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, and Fig. 3 is a sectionalview taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

In all of the views, like parts are designated by the same referencecharacters.

The font 1, is shown as circular in plan. It is preferably made of sheetmetal, soas to be both liquid and vapor--tight. The liquid fuel isintroduced through a filling opening which is normally closed by a sutable cap 2, which is shown as attached in place by means of screwthreads. In the center of the top of the font is a circular opening,surrounded by a collar 3. This collar is preferably provided with screwthreads for attachment of the wick tube. The wick tube 4: is preferablymade of sheet metal, and is constructed as followsf-The top is closed,the upper portion: of the tube being preferably of uniform diameter, asshown. The lower portion of the tube 1s formed with an enlargement 5,concentric to the tube. At the bottom, the walls of the tube are doubledback, forming a sleeve 6 of greater diameter than the enlargement 5,said sleeve preferably having screw threads Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed January 17, 1913.

of the wick tube.

Patented J unc 9, 1914:. Serial No. 742,547.

at its upper part, for engagement with the threads upon the collar 3.The space between the enlargement 5 and the sleeve 6 constitutes anairjacket 7.

The wick tube may be removed from the font by rotating it, so that thethreads on the sleeve 6 become disengaged from the threads on the collar3. The parts are best proportioned so that when in position, the lowerend of the tube is above the bottom of the font a suflicient distance toallow the fluid to circulate freely below the same. The air jacketserves to insulate the wick tube from the font, and prevents the latterfrom becoming heated, with thcconsequent production of vapor underpressure in the font. It also allows the use of a relatively largeburner, made possible without unduly heating the font.

The tube 4 contains a wick 8. The upper portion of the wick ispreferably made of asbestos, so as not to become charred when subjectedto the intense heat that the lamp undergoes when in use. The lower partof the wick is preferably made of cotton. I prefer to make this part ofthe wick as follows: A casing of woven cotton, of a suflicient length toreach from the bottom of the font to the asbestos, and of such size asto fit snugly within the smaller part of the tube. is filled withlongitudinally arranged strands of cotton, as shown. That part of thewick which lies within the enlargement 5 is wrapped with cottonstrandsas shown, so that its outside dimensions will be such that itwill completely fill the enlargement. This wrapping will compress thelower part of the casing, and also compress the lower portions of thecenter longitudinal strands. The effect of this structure will be thatthe lower part of the wick will be somewhat denser than the upper part.and the resist ance to the flow of fluid will be greater, so that thefluid will not be driven downward by the pressure of the vapor which isgenerated in the upper parts of the tube.

The means for withdrawing and burning the vapor is as follows :A vaportube 9, shown as horizontal. extends from one side This tube may beattached by having its end reduced and threaded, and a nut 10 applied tothe threaded end.

The inner end. of the interior of the; tube is reduced, as shown, uponinclined lines, so as to form a seat for a valve 11. The stem of thevalve is .screw threaded, such threads engaging with threads in thevapor1tube,so that the position of the valve may be adj usted, and theamount ofvapor which flows to the burner regulated. A sharp instrumentcan be introduced through the vapor tube,

into the asbestos part of the wick, so as to produce a passage for.thevapor, and reduce the chance of particles of asbestos entering I thevapor tube.

To the vapor tube is attached an'outlet tube 12. This tube is shown asvertical, closed at the top and provided with an outwardly directedorifice 13. The vapor passes out through this orifice, and enters theburner ring 14. This burner ring is made.

bottom, as shown. In the inner wall is an opening 16, opposite to theorifice 13. In the same wall are orifices 17, which are shown as four innumber. These directthe flame to the wick tube, and keep it hot. On

the curved exterior of the annulus is a row of orifices 18, directedupward. These produce the flame for the greater proportion of theheating effect of the lamp. Some of the flame from vapor issuing throughthe orifices 17 will pass through the perforations in the plate 15, andwill add to the heating effect. The ring 14 is further supported bymeans of'a cage 19, which surrounds and is supported by the wick tube. Iprefer to attach the ring 14: to the cage 19, by providing the latterwith a plurality of lips 23, which are bent over the outer edge of thering and hold it in place.

The wick tube is shown as having a shal low flange at the middle, foraiding in the support of the cage. Therbottom of the cage is formed intoa pan 20, concentric to the wick tube. The pan is for the purpose ofcontaining fuel, which, upon being burnt, will heat the upper part ofthe wick tube, and this generates vapor so that the lamp may be-started.

In operation, after the tube has become hot, the fluid contained in theasbestos portion of the wickwill become vaporized, and.

V will escape through the vapor. .tube 9 and enter the outlet tube 12,to an extent" which will dependnpon the amount of opening of the valve11. The vapor will escape through the orifice 13, and will enter the rin14:, the flame escaping through the orifices 17 and 18. x

to the end of the tube.

It is found in practice that some liquid fuel will enter the vapor tube9, and will be ejected through the orifice 18, during the starting ofthe lamp, when liquid is burning in the pan.. If no provision be made toguard against injury, this liquid'will flow downward on the outside ofthe tubes 12 and 9, and will pass along the tube 9, and the valve stem11, finally dropping. off upon the top of the font, and thence to thesupport'of the latter. The fluid may become ignited, and may causeinjury as well as being objectionable. To avoid this trouble, I providethe following device: The outer end of the tube 9 is provided with asleeve 21, close To this sleeve is connected a trough 22, which isinclined as shown, and with its lower end over the pan 20. I mayconveniently make the sleeve and trough of a singlepiece of sheet metal.The

efiect of this structure is that the fluid, when it traverses theoutside of the tube 9, upon reaching the sleeve 21, itshorizontal travelwill be arrested, and it will then drop to the trough and, running downthe latter, will enter the pan and be consumed, without injury ordanger.

The liquid fuel is introduced into the pan 20 by any suitable. means,but-preferably by means of the pump illustrated. This pump comprises acylinder 24, closed at the top with a plug 25. This plug is quite.thick, as

shown, and has a concentric inset portion,

for entrance of the upper edge of the flange of the piston 26.This'latter'is preferably made of the shape shown, and has a plural-;

ity of ports.v A diskvalve 27 lies upon the 7 piston and is adapted tocover and uncover the ports. A piston rod 28- is attached to the pistonand extends through the plug 25. An inlet port 29 isrprovided at thelower end of the cylinder 24:, and a spring 30 lies within thecylinderand exerts pressure upward, sothat the piston is normally heldin the position shown in the drawings. The plug a tight fit with asleeve 32, carried by the cap 2." This tube is connected to and supportsa spout 83, which has a discharge endimmediatelyover the pan 20. Thelower end of the cylinderf24 :is preferably very close to the bottom ofthe font, so that the pump will work when the latter is, nearly empty:In

operation, the rod 28 is depressed a few times, which forces the pistondownward allowing fluid to pass through the ports in the piston. Uponthe spring 30' being allowed to elevate the piston,1the valve will closeand the fluid will pass upward through the tube 31, and spout 33, andinto the pan 20.

- The excess of vapor in the font escapes through a vent 34: in thefilling cap 2. I regard the feature of supporting the pump upon the capas important, as the pump may be removed for inspection or adjustment110 25 is connected to atube 31, which makes very readily, and only oneopening in the top of the font is needed, for both the filling cap andpump.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I havedescribed the principle of my invention, together with the apparatuswhich I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but Idesire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merelyillustrative and that the invention may be carried out in other ways.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. A vapor lamp having a wick tube with an enlargement at the lower end,with a wick, said wick being formed of a casing, a filling and anoutside layer wrapped around this sixth day of Jan., 1913.

CHARLES NELSON.

WVitnesses:

P. B. NASH, P. J. WVILHELM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe "Commissioner of Patenti, Washington, D. G.

